The vision of the Catena Institute of Wine is to continue elevating Argentina’s historic variety, Malbec, and the country’s winemaking regions for another 200 years.

Nicolás Catena Zapata’s high-altitude wine revolution led to the discovery of a new terroir for wine, the Adrianna Vineyard at almost 5,000 feet elevation. The CIW was founded by Dr. Laura Catena, Nicolás daughter, in 1995. Today, the team of the Catena Institute of Wine is dedicated to studying every meter, every rock, every insect and microorganism in the Adrianna Vineyard, making it perhaps the most studied vineyard in the world.

The Catena Institute collaborates with institutions all over the world, from UC Davis to the University of Dijon, as well as with local research institutions.  The institute’s work is widely published in reputable scientific journals that include the American Journal of Viticulture and Enology and Food Science. In February 2021, the Institute published ground-breaking research that proves the existence of terroir and its persistence across vintages. The article, “Terroir and vintage discrimination of Malbec wines based on phenolic composition across multiple sites in Mendoza, Argentina,” appeared in Scientific Reports, the Nature research journal.

In June 2023, the Catena Institute announced that it will offer scholarships to support students from Latin America in their journey on the MW study programme.

Every two years, two students from Latin America (Central and South America) will have the opportunity to apply for one of two scholarships. These scholarships will provide the student with US$2000 annually, for up to two years.

To apply for the scholarship, applicants will be asked to write a paper on a topic relevant to the Catena Institute, such as genetic diversity of vines, high altitude viticulture or terroir in a South American location.

Applications to this scholarship will open in September 2023, and winners will be chosen by the Institute of Masters of Wine, in partnership with the Catena Institute.

http://www.catenainstitute.com/

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